Basing machine for incandescent, fluorescent and discharge lamps



Dec. 19, 1961 T. F. MoDoUGAL 3,013,927

l BASING MACHINE FOR INCANDESCENT, FLUORESCENT AND DISCHARGE LAMPS Filed April l2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 19, 1961 T. F. MoDouGAL 3,013,927

BASIN@ MACHINE FOR INCANDESCENT, FLUORESCENT AND DISCHARGE LAMPS Filed April 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7@ www INVENTOR. 7740/7/15 F.' Mrl United States Patent O 3,013,927 BASING MACHINE FOR INCANDESCENT, FLUO- RESCENT AND DISCHARGE LAMPS Thomas F. McDougal, Fairmont, W. Va., assigner to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 12, 1957, Ser. No. 652,466 8 Claims. (Cl. 156-424) This invention relates to basing machines for incandescent, fiuorescent and discharge lamps and the like heretofore, conventional basing machines for iluorescent lamps, which machines are of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,439,884, issued April 20, 1948, to J. M. Campbell, have employed massive metal basing chucks of the type sho-wn in U.S. Patent No. 2,725,919, issued December 6, 1955 to G. D. Brent et al. After a fluorescent lamp base, for example, having basing cement applied thereto, is threaded over the lead wires on each end of the lamp and positioned on the lamp seal, the base on each end of the lamp is inserted into a basing chuck which maintains the base in the proper aligned position on the fluorescent lamp during the basing operation. The basing chucks are attached to an indexing carrier and are first moved thereby, with the lamp held between the chucks, through a series of heating stations consisting of fixed gas burners directed radially at the chucks to heat the chucks to the required curing temperature of the cement, which chucks then transfer the heat mainly by conduction and radiation to the base, so as to evolve any volatile material in the cement between the base and the lamp. After this curing treatment the chucks vand lamps are moved through a plurality of cooling stations Where jets of cool air are directed through a hole in the chucks and a hole in the bases into the cavity between the bases and the ends of the lamps to remove any alcohol vapor evolved from the cement during the heating operation and also to cool and set the cured cement thereby firmly atixing the base to the end of the lamp.

Because of the large mass of metal in the basing chucks and the resultant heat insulating properties and high heat storage capacity of the massive metal basing chucks, a considerable time is required for the heating and cooling of the chucks. Further the continuous heating and cooling of the `chucks causes rapid deterioration thereof with an attendant high cost of maintenance. Again, the heating of the basing chucks by the external burners is ineiicient, thereby causing a considerable waste of fuel, with resultant contamination of plant latmosphere and uncomfortable warm working conditions.

lt is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to prior art practices by Ithe provision of an improved basing machine which produces a better quality product by faster, more eicient direct heating and cooling of the base, thus permitting a longer period of treatment of the base at the optimum treating temperatures.

A specific object of the present invention is the elimination of loose bases which normally result from insufflcient curing o-f the basing cement and the removal of the lamp from the chucks while the cement is relatively tion of the gas supply manifold system formerly used on the basing machine.

An additional object of the present invention is to eliminate the use of draft shields around the basing chucks which shields have been required in the past to maintain the basing chucks' at uniform operating temperatures.

A still further object of the present invention is to reduce the plant noise level by the elimination of high speed air jets and the motor driven blower employed with the present cooling system.

Still another object of the present invention is to reduce the ambient temperature of the plant atmosphere and to provide better working conditions by the reduction of the contamination of the plant atmosphere Ifrom gascom-bustion products.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains as the description proceeds both by direct recitation thereof and from implication from the context.

The aforesaid objects of the present invention are achieved by employing an improved basing machine having a basing chuck provided with an aperture for receiving a base and a cavity which surrounds the base and first permits the passage of a heated fluid around and in direct contact with the base to rapidly and uniformly heat the base to the required temperature to cure the cement and which later similarly receives a cooled fluid which rapidly and uniformly cools the base to set the cement. The base receiving aperture receives the base in substantially point contact to prevent blistering of the base during direct heating thereof by the uid and to permit the escape of the uid from the cavity while in direct contact with the base to maintain the desired uniform temperature during the heating and cooling of the base.

Although the principles of the invention are broadly applicable to basing machines for incandescent, fluorescent and discharge lamps, the invention is usually employed in conjunction with the basing of iluorescent lamps and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a basing machine in which the basing chucks of the invention and the associated heating and cooling manifolds are incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the basing head and the cooling manifold of the basing machine of FIG. l along the line II-II of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows and showing the upper and lower portions of the cooling manifold in horizontal section.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the llower portion of the fluorescent lamp with the prelled base threaded over the lead wires and positioned thereon, the lower chuck and a portion of the mounting means for the lower chuck along the yline III-III of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal plan view partially in section, of the lower basing chuck along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and eliminating, for sake of clarity, portions of the base.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged horizontal plan view of the upper basing chuck, a portion of the mounting means for the upper chuck, the lamp and the threaded positioned base shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is -a vertical sectional view of the upper basing chuck and associated parts along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 7 is Va view similar to FIG. 6, but along the line VII-VII of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows.

FG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of the upper basing chuck along the line VIII-VIII of FlG. and showing the base in plan.

With specific reference to the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a basing machine 10 is shown in FIG. l for securing a. base 12 (FIG. 7), prelilled with cement 13 and positioned on the seal portion of a luorescent lamp 14, to each end of such lamp 14. Since the basing machine 10 is of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,439,884, issued April 20, 1948, to J. M. Campbell, it is deemed suliicient to briefly describe the basing machine 16 and its operation.

This basing machine 10 comprises a carrier 16 provided with a. plurality of basing heads 18, for example forty-eight in the showing of FIG. l, which carrier 16 is iudexable on a xed pedestal 19 by a conventional indexing mechanism (not shown) to move the basing heads 18 successively through a like number of work stations to first cure the cement 13 by heating the bases 12 to a temperature of about l40l60 C. and to them set the cement 13 by cooling the bases 12 to a temperature of about 50-60 C., thereby firmly securing the bases 12 to the lamp 1.4. Adjacent the cooling stations of the basing machine 10, namely stations 21 through 46 identical upper and lower sections 28 and 22 of a cooling manifold 24 are affixed by means of brackets to a pair of mount rods 26 (FIGS. l and 2), each of which rods 26 is secured at its top and bottom portions, respectively, to the pedestal 19 by a radial upper tie 28 and by an adjustably mounted lower tie 30. To provide air inlet means into the manifold 24 each section '.23 and 22 is suitably connected by means of an inlet line 32 (FIG. l) to a supply of cooled air (not shown) and is provided with a plurality of radial nozzles 34, which upper and lower nozzles 34 register respectively with an upper basing chuck 36 and a lower basing chuck 38 of each basing head 18 at each of the cooling stations 2V-40 of the basing machine 10. Adjacent stations l through l5 of the basing machine 1G, a heating manifold 40, only the upper portion 42 of which is shown in FIG. l, is similarly fastened to a pair of mount rods 26. The upper portion 42 and the lower portion (not shown) of the heating manifold 40 are connected by means of air inlet lines 44, only one of which is shown in FIG. 1, to a supply of heated air (not shown) and each portion is provided with a plurality of radial nozzles 34, which likewise register with the upper and lower chucks 36 and 38 of the heads 18 at each heating station.

Basng heads Since the mounting means for the lower basing chucks 36 and the upper basing chucks 38 is the same as that shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,725,919, issued December 6, 1955 to G. D. Brent et al., it is suihcient to say that each of the upper basing chucks 36 is secured, as by screws 46 (FIGS. 5, 7, 8), to a peripheral support bracket 4S secured to the upper portions of the carrier 16. In order to permit the insertion of a based lamp 14 into each pair of chucks 36 and 38, each of the lower chucks 38 (FIGS. 2-4) is secured by means of screws 49 (FIGS. 3 and 4) to a block 50 affixed to the upper end of a resiliently mounted rod 52 which is spring biased to the normally up position shown in FIG. 2 and is manually slidable downwardly, by means of a handle 53, in a bracket 54 and a lower guide 56 secured to the side wall of the carrier 16.

Each of the upper basing chucks 36 for curing and setting the cement 13 between the upper end of a lamp 14 and `a base 12 positioned thereon (FIGS. 2, 5-8) comprises a generally annular hollow body of a thermally insulating material having a low heat storage capacity, such as aluminum. This body is provided with a base receiving aperture 58 in the bottom portion thereof and a plurality of, for example three, radially inwardly projecting lugs 60 (FIG. 4) for receiving a base 12 in substantially point contact to prevent blistering of the side portions of the base 12, during the heating cycle adjacent stations l*l5 of the basing machine 1?. ln addition, the body of the upper chuck 36 is provided with a base insert receiving hole 62 in the upper side wall thereof in which a base insert 64 is secured by means of screws 66.

This insert 64 is provided with a plurality of, for eX- arnple, three as shown in FIG. 4, peripherally disposed lugs 68 for supporting the bottom of a base 12 in substantially point contact to prevent blistering ot' the bottom portions or" the base 12 during the heating cycle at stations 1-l5 and a tapered bridged alignment slot 7G for receiving base pins 72 of a base 12 therein to properly align the base 12 by means of its base pins 72. The body of each upper chuck 36 is further provided with a peripheral Huid-circulating cavity 74 which is adapted by means of a tapered inlet portion 76 (FlG. 4), when indexed into registry with the nozzles 34 of the heating manifold 48 at stations l-15 of the basing machine it), to receive a huid, such as air heated to -l60 C., and to permit the passage of the heated air around and in direct contact with the base 12 to uniformly heat the base 14 and to maintain said base at this curing temperature thereby evolving alcohol or other solvent vapors from the cement 13 and curing said cement. Later at the cooling stations 2l-40" the cavity '74 receives cooled air from the registering nozzles 34 of the cooling manifold 24 to uniformly cool said base 12 to a tcm perature of about 5G60 C., thus setting the cement 13 and rmly aixing the base l2 to the end of the lamp 14.

The base receiving aperture 58 is further adapted by .eans of the lugs 61'? to permit the escape of most of the heated and cooled air between the side portions of the base 12 while the air is still in direct contact with the base 12 to thereby maintain the uniform desired temperature over the entire base 12. To permit the escape of any residual slightly cooled or heated air at the end of its peripheral travel through the cavity 74 and to prevent any cooling or heating of the incoming cooled or heated air by the residual air, the cavity 74 also is provided with a pair of vent holes 78 angularly disposed adjacent the inlet portion 76 of the cavity 74.

Since each lower basing chuck 38, shown particularly in FlGS. 3 and 4, is secured to the block 5t) by means of the screws 49 which project into the bottom portion of the lower chuck 38, the outwardly projecting lugs (FIG. 5) of each upper chuck 36, through which lugs the screws 46 extend to secure the upper chucks 36 to the bracket 48, are not required in the lower chuck 38. Other than this difference, each lower chuck 38 is essentially the same in construction as the above described upper chuck 36.

This, it will be seen from the foregoing description that the objects of the invention have been achieved by providing a basing machine 10 having an upper basing chuck 36 and a lower basing chuck 38 which produce a better quality based lamp 14 by faster, more efficient, direct heating and cooling of the base 12 thereby permitting the longer treatment of the base 12 at the optimum heating temperature of about 140-60 C. Further, these basing chucks 36 and 38 eliminate loose bases 12 which formerly resulted from insuicient curing of the basing cement 13 and the removal of the lamp 14 from the basing chucks 36 and 38 while the basing cement 13 was still hot. Use of the basing chucks 36 and 38 in the basing machine 10 reduces the amount of heating fuel and compressed cooling air employed, the cost of maintenance of the basing chucks 36 and 38 and the plant noise level by the elimination of high speed air jets and the motor driven blower employed with the conventional type cooling system. Again, the employment of the chucks 36 and 38 lowers the plant ambient temperature and provides better working conditions by the reduction of the contamination of the plant atmosphere from gascombustion products. In addition, the basing chucks 36 and 38 permit the elimination of the conventional heating burners and the attendant alignment problems involved therein and the elimination of the gas supply manifold system formerly used on the basing machine and the draft shields formerly employed around the basing chucks.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that other modifications thereof may be made without department from the scope of the present invention.

I claim:

l. In combination a rotatable turret, a basing chuck mounted on said turret for curing and setting the cement between an end of a lamp and a base thereon, means connected to said turret for moving said chuck through a plurality of curing and setting stations, said chuck comprising a body provided with a recess therein adapted to receive said base, said recess providing with said base a huid-circulating cavity surrounding said base and adapted to receive a fluid of varying temperature and conduct it around and in direct contact with said base, means at said curing station to deliver a heated liuid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to rst uniformly heat said `ase to and maintain it at a desired temperature to cure said cement and means at said coo-ling stations to deliver a cooled iiuid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to later uniformly cool said base to set said cement, and said recess also providing with said base means communicating with said cavity to permit the escape of said fluids from said cavity, While said escaping fluids are in direct contact With said base.

2. In combination a rotatable turret, a basing chuck mounted on said turret for curing and setting the cement between an end of a lamp and a base thereon, means connected to said turret for moving said chuck through a plurality of curing and setting stations, said chuck comprising a body provided with a recess therein adapted to receive said base in substantially point contact to prevent blis-tering thereof, said recess providing with said base a uid-circulating cavity surrounding said base when received in said aperture and adapted to receive a iiuid of varying temperature and conduct it around and in direct contact with said base, means at said curing stations to deliver a first uid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to first uniformly heat said base to and maintain it at a desired temperature to cure said cement and means at said cooling stations to deliver a second tiuid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to later uniformly cool said base to set said cement, and said recess also providing with said base a venting means in communication with said cavity to permit the escape of Said fluids from said cavity while said escaping fluids are in direct contact with said base to provide the desired uniform temperature of said base.

3. In combination a rotatable turret, a basing chuck mounted on said turret for curing and setting .the cement between an end of a lamp and a base thereon, means connected to said turret for moving said chuck through a plurality of curing and setting stations, said chuck comprising a thermally insulating body of low heat storage capacity and having provided therein a recess adapted to receive said base in substantially point contact to prevent blistering thereof, said recess providing with said base a Huid-circulating cavity surrounding said base and adapted to receive a fluid of varying .temperature and conduct it around and in direct contact with said base, means at said curing stations to deliver a heated iluid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to first uniformly heat said base to and maintain it at a desired temperature to cure said cement and means at said cooling stations to deliver a cooled iluid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to later uniformly cool said base to set said cement, and

said recess also providing with said base venting means in communication with said cavity to permit the escape of said fluid from said cavity while said escaping uid is in direct contact with said base to provide the desired uniform temperature of said base.

4. In combination a rotatable turret, a basing chuck mounted on said turret for curing and setting the cement between en end of a lamp and a base thereon, means con nected to said turret for moving said chuck through a plurality of curing and setting stations, said chuck comprising a body provided with a recess therein adapted to receive said base in substantially point contact to prevent blistering thereof, said recess providing with said base a Huid-circulating cavity surrounding said base and adapted to receive a fluid of varying temperature and conduct it around and in direct contact with said base, means at said curing stations to deliver a heated iiuid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to first uniformly heat said base to and maintain it at a desired temperature to cure said cement and means at said cooling stations to deliver a cooled fluid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to later uniformly cool said base to set said cement, a first venting means in communication with said cavity to prevent any variation of the temperature of said fluidy during its circulation around said base, and said recess also providing with said base a second venting means in communication with said cavity to permit the escape of said fluid from said cavity while said escaping fluid is in direct contact with said base to provide the desired uniform temperature of said base. v

5. In combination a rotatable turret, a basing chuck mounted on said turret for curing and setting the cement between an end of a lamp and a base thereon, means connected to said turret for moving said chuck through a plurality of curing and setting stations, said chuck comprising a body provided with a recess therein adapted to receive said base in substantially point contact to prevent blistering thereof, said recess providing with said base a fluid-circulating cavity surrounding said base and adapted to receive a fluid of varying temperature and conduct it around and in direct contact with said base, means at said curing stations to deliver a heated uid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to first uniformly heat said base and to maintain it at a desired temperature `to cure said cement, means at said cooling stations to deliver a cooled fluid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to later uniformly cool said base to set said cement, said recess also providing with said base venting means in communication with said cavity to permit the cape of said uid from said cavity while said escaping fluid is in direct contact with said base to maintain the desired uniform temperature of said base, and means in said body for supporting said base in substantially point cont-act therewith to further prevent blistering of said base.

6. In combination a rotatable turret, a basing chuck mounted on said turret for curing and setting the cement between an end of a lamp and `a base supported thereon and having pins projecting therefrom, means connected to said turret for moving said chuck through a plurality of curing and setting stations, said chuck comprising a body provided with a recess therein adapted to receive said base in substantially point contact to prevent blistering thereof, said recess providing with said base a fluidcirculating cavity surrounding said base and adapted to receive a uid of varying temperature and conduct it around and in direct Contact with said base, mans at said curing stations to deliver a heated fluid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to first uniformly heat said base to and maintain it at a desired temperature to cure said cement and means at said cooling stations to deliver a cooled fluid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to later uniformly cool said base to set said cement, said recess also providing with said base venting means in communication with said cavity to permit the escape in direct contact with said base to maintain the desired uniform temperature of said base, and means in said body for aligning said base by means of its pins.

7. In combination a rotatable turret, a basing chuck mounted on said turret for curing and setting the cement between an end of a lamp and a base thereon and having pins projecting therefrom, means connected to said turret for moving said chuck through a plurality of curing and Setting stations, said chuck comprising a thermally insulating body of low heat storage capacity, said body having provided therein a recess adapted to receive said base in substantially point contact to prevent blistering thereof, said recess providing with said base a duid-circulating cavity surrounding said base and adapted to receive a uid of varying temperature and conduit it around and in direct contact with said base, means at said curing stations to deliver a heated fluid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to rst uniformly heat said base to and maintain it at a desired temperature to cure said cement, means at said cooling stations to deliver a cooled uid to said cavity in a circumferential direction to later uniformly cool said base to set said cement, said recess also providing with said base venting means in communication with said cavity to permit the escape of said fluid from said cavity while said escaping uid is in direct contact with said base to maintain the desired uniform temperature of said base, means in said body for supporting said base in substantially point contact therewith to further prevent blistering of said base, and means in said body for aligning said base by means of its pins.

S. In combination a rotatable turret, a basing chuck mounted on said turret for curing and setting the cement between an end of a lamp and a base thereon and having pins projecting therefrom, means connected to said turret for moving said chuck through a plurality of curing and setting stations, said chuck comprising a thermally insulating body of low heat storage capacity, said body having provided therein a recess adapted to receive said base in substantially point contact to prevent blistering thereof, said recess providing with said base a Huid-circulating cavity surrounding said base and adapted to receive air of varying temperature and conduct it around and in direct contact with said base, means at said curing stations to deliver hot air to said cavity in a circumferential direction to first uniformly heat said base to and maintain it at a desired temperature to cure said cement, means at said cooling stations to deliver cool air to said cavity in a circumferential direction to later uniformly cool said base to set said cement, said recess also providing with said base venting means in communication with said cavity to permit the escape of said air from said cavity while said escaping air is in direct contact with said base to maintain the desired uniform temperature of said base, means in said body for receiving said base in substantially point contact therewith to further prevent blistering of said base, and means in said body for aligning said base by means of its base pins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,321,517 Frederick Nov. l1, 1919 1,614,601 Davis Jan. 18, 1927 1,978,424 Gebhard Oct. 30, 1934 2,152,732 Dreymann Apr. 4, 1939 2,354,029 Kingston July 18, 1944 2,475,544 Del Cueto July 5, 1949 2,595,685 Mallory May 6, 1952 2,689,372 Goulding Sept. 21, 1954 2,725,919 Brent et al. Dee. 6, 1955 2,895,718 Prather July 21, 1959 

1. IN COMBINATION A ROTATABLE TURRET, A BASING CHUCK MOUNTED ON SAID TURRET FOR CURING AND SETTING THE CEMENT BETWEEN AND END OF A LAMP AND A BASE THEREON, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID TURRET FOR MOVING SAID CHUCK THROUGH A PLURALITY OF CURING AND SETTING STATIONS, SAID CHUCK COMPRISING A BODY PROVIDED WITH A RECESS THEREIN ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID BASE, SAID RECESS PROVIDING WITH SAID BASE A FLUID-CIRCULATING CAVITY SURROUNDING SAID BASE AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A FLUID OF VARYING TEMPERATURE AND CONDUCT IT AROUND AND IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH SAID BASE, MEANS AT SAID CURING STATION TO DELIVER A HEATED FLUID TO SAID CAVITY IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION TO FIRST UNIFORMLY HEAT SAID BASE TO AND MAINTAIN IT AT A DESIRED TEMPERATURE TO CURE SAID CEMENT AND MEANS AT SAID COOLING STATIONS TO DELIVER A COOLED FLUID TO SAID CAVITY IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION TO LATER UNIFORMLY COOL SAID BASE TO SET SAID CEMENT, AND SAID RECESS ALSO PROVIDING WITH SAID BASE MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CAVITY TO PERMIT THE ESCAPE OF SAID FLUIDS FROM SAID CAVITY, WHILE SAID ESCAPING FLUIDS ARE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH SAID BASE. 